Moses Simmons (1604-1691)
}} Biography 1621 voyage to Plymouth Colony He was a passenger on the English ship [[List of Fortune 1621 passengers to Plymouth| Fortune]], which was the second ship to sail from London (July 1621), bound for Plymouth Colony. The ship arrived safe at Cape Cod in Nov 1621. This ship contained many relatives and friends of the Mayflower pilgrims, led by Robert Cushman (1577-1625). It was a bit of a disappointment for the starving original settlers to find that this ship contained very few additional supplies, but another 35 hungry mouths to feed. Formerly spelled and written "Moyses Symonson" came to Plymouth in the Fortune," landing on November ninth, 1621, and is usually reckoned as one of the Pilgrims, being among the earliest settlers of Plymouth, and was a child of one whom was in communion with the Dutch of Lyden, and being admitted into Church fellowship at Plymouth, New England, and his children also admitted to baptism as well as our own. (Winslow's History 1646.) We find in the history of New England (1633 to 1672) frequent mention of Moses Simmons, showing that he was very prominent and active in civic affairs in Plymouth and Duxbury. In the division of land made in 1623, he, with Phillip De La Noyes, (now Delano), received each an acre ''beyond the first brooke, to the woods westward and in 1628, March 26, he amid Edward Bompass sold each one acre of ground to Robert Hicks "Laying on time north side of town'' probably being time acre granted him in 1623. In the division of cattle made May the 22nd 1627, the first lot consisting of "four black heifers'' that came in the ship Jacob, and two she goats, fell to Francis Cooke (1583-1663) and his company, among whom was MOSES SIMMONS. He was unmarried in 1627, as he then only received a single man's share. He was in Duxbury MA before 1637, and in that year was one of time jury of twelve to set forth highways about Plymouth, "Ducksburrow," and the Eele River. ln 1638-9 he received a grant of forty acres. Marriage and Family Research Notes But Moses' wife CANNOT be Sarah Chandler (1622-1675) as stated in many genealogical records, since the wife of Moses started bearing children in the 1630s when Sarah Chandler was still a pre-teen (and only age 8 at the supposed wedding date.) Moses Simmons was married, (probably in Duxbury) about 1632 to Sarah Unknown. We find this family name sometimes spelled "Symons," sometimes Symonds, and sometimes Simonds" but mostly the original way of "SIMMONS, and the family itself is numerous, respectable and of quite ancient date. Proof of the relationship of Moses (2) and Aaron (2) to Moses of the Fortune will be found in the deeds of Moses, Sr., of Duckbury:We also find that Moses, who married Sarah, was the Moses who came on the "Fortune" as he would certainly be the only one to have first property rights at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and it is known that the first Moses early sold his rights there; the following is an excerpt of deed record kept at Plymouth, and copy at the State house, Boston: "I Moses Simmons of Duxburrow, in New Plymouth Colonic, with the consent of my wife Sarah, for valuable consideration have bargained sold to Nicholas Byram of Weymouth, my whole right of land in Bridgewater town." References * 1623 Plymouth Land Census * Moses Simpson Biography